


Firelight

by alorarose, serendipityxxi



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: F/M, Fluff, romantic, stopped by a storm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-31
Updated: 2010-01-31
Packaged: 2017-12-03 07:47:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alorarose/pseuds/alorarose, https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipityxxi/pseuds/serendipityxxi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A storm forces Richard and Kahlan to take refuge in an empty cottage.  Snuggling around a fireplace totally happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Firelight

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt challenge at Legendland. Prompt was "Fire"
> 
> The timeframe for this fic is post ep 2x07

The storm that was baring down on their necks right now had been building all day. Menacing grey clouds marched in over the horizon, slowly obliterating all trace of the mountains that surrounded the valley Richard and Kahlan were hiking through but for the lowest trees. It was cold and as the sun retreated below the mountaintops the temperature was dropping quickly. They'd been walking all day and knew that they had to set up camp soon, or at least find some shelter. No sleeping under the stars tonight, Kahlan thought to herself. She rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to keep warm but the wind that swept through the valley was bitter cold and penetrated her clothes as if they weren't there. Hopefully there were caves nearby, or a wayward pine.

Richard wore a dark brown cape that mostly acted as a pillow in the bottom of his pack when the weather was warm and and even with the added layer he was still extremely cold. The path up ahead was clearer than it had been, fewer branches had been allowed to grow out from the nearby trees to hit an unwary traveller in the face or catch at a cloak. Richard hoped that meant a settlement up ahead. He also hoped it meant friendly faces. He was afraid his fingers would freeze to the hilt of the Sword of Truth if he was forced to draw it.

She glanced at him and wondered what he was thinking. She wondered if he felt the cold, for it never showed on his face. 

A light rain began to fall as they trudged on down the path, barely more than a drizzle but the temperatures they were experiencing made the tiny drops feel like ice as they landed on his hands. He huddled into the folds of the cape a little more and took a step closer to Kahlan. "Hope we find somewhere to rest soon. Nothing should be out in this weather." His breath was visible in the cold air as he spoke.

"Mm, to have a nice warm bath..." she smiled at the thought and tried to use the image of the steam coming up from the warm water to keep her warm. Richard beside her helped also. "I hope Zedd and Cara are alright," she commented, stealing another glance at him. "We should think about looking for caves."

Richard reached over and flipped up her hood for her. "Good idea," he said and grinned at her look.

The rain began to come down in torrents of icy water, needling into their skin. Richard and Kahlan darted into the treeline, trying for shelter but the winter bare trees did little to protect them. They trudged on boots squelching in the mud, freezing and wet. They veered around a corner in the path and came upon a clearing. In the center stood a cottage with large windows and a chimney that was empty, suggesting its occupants were elsewhere. It was a small structure, probably just the one room, but for the two bedraggled travellers it looked like a palace. Richard ran up and knocked on the door smartly even though he suspected the building was empty.

Kahlan, meanwhile, peeked into a window while Richard was knocking. The building was not large at all and it indeed only had one room. The most important part was the fireplace, though, and she just wanted to get inside. "It's dark inside," she said, walking back around to the door, dodging the shrubs that lined the small porch. "No one's home."

Richard tried the doorknob, it turned easily and the heavy oak door swung open. The fireplace was the first thing you saw when you opened the door and neatly stacked beside it was a fairly decent supply of wood and kindling. Richard smiled, his fingers tingling with imagined warmth already. He only regretted that Zedd wasn't here with his wizard's fire and they'd have to start the blaze the regular way. He stomped his boots clean and entered the cottage.

Kahlan followed him inside, after stomping her own boots clean, and couldn't help the wide grin at the fireplace. She set her bag on the floor and quickly went to inspect the wood and kindling. She bit her lip again, imagining what it would be like to snuggle against Richard in front of this fireplace. Richard shut the door and crouched at Kahlan's side, pulling the flint out of his pack. Working together they soon had a merry glow going in the fireplace.

Richard stood and shrugged off his cape, hanging it to dry off the back of a chair. His boots came off next, the leather was soaked and difficult to pry off but off they came. Everything in his pack was too wet to dry off with so he looked around the cottage trying to locate something he could use as a towel. He walked over to a chest at the foot of the only bed in the house, and opened it. He felt guilty about going through the person who lived here's possessions but it was either that or catch cold. He was in luck, the chest contained sweaters, thick home spun woolen ones. The first he pulled out was a woman's in a deep burgundy wine color. He passed that over to Kahlan and dug through the chest again pulling out a grey sweater that belonged to the man who lived in the cottage and a pair of black pants that might fit with his own belt. He found pants for Kahlan too, the woman who lived here looked to be close to her size. At the bottom of the chest were extra blankets and Richard pulled those out as well. Even with the fire and the small size the cottage was still chilly because of the large windows in the front. The glass let in a creeping cold.

She smiled in thanks. Richard turned away to give her some privacy in the tiny cottage. Kahlan started on the strings to untie her dress the fabric was heavier than usual because of the rain and she'd be glad to be rid of it until it dried. She hung it up close to the fireplace so the heat would dry it. Once she was free of her corset and pants and in the dry warm clothes she sat down. The wool of the warm sweater felt good against her skin and she quickly felt better. She tried her hardest to not sneak peeks at Richard while he changed but it was impossible.

Richard yanked his shirt over his head and dried off with one of the extra blankets, ruffling his hair til it felt damp instead of dripping down his face. He pulled on the sweater and almost cried out at how nice it felt to finally be warm and dry. He shucked his pants and traded them for the dry pair hurriedly, knowing Kahlan was standing right behind him - thankfully the cold was working on other parts of his anatomy.

"Done?" he called over his shoulder, eyes closed tightly.

"Done," she replied softly, hanging her pants to dry beside her dress.

Richard turned and smiled at her in the strange clothes. He reached out and rubbed her arms with his hands, trying to warm her up a bit. "Know what we're missing?" he asked. He turned away before she could answer and hunted through the chest again returning with two pairs of socks. He handed her a warm woolen set and sat down in front of the fire to pull on his own.

She sat down also and looked at her feet. They'd gotten callused since she'd left Aydindril. It seemed forever ago. She massaged her feet a little before putting on the socks, trying to get the blood flowing through them again.

Richard watched her and wriggled his own toes in the softness of the borrowed socks. He glanced up around the room and after a moment got to his feet, he pushed the dining table and chairs out of the way and they were left with a fair amount of space in front of the hearth. He turned to Kahlan enjoying the look of puzzlement on his face. He stretched out a hand, hauling her up off the floor. "My dad always said the best way to get the blood moving again was vigorous physical action. Now I know there's no music but, would you dance with me?" He smiled and his eyes twinkled as his chilly fingers twined with her cold ones.

She laughed and let him pull her up. "I would love to," she did her best at a curtsy in pants, using the hem of the sweater. "It would be an honor to dance with the Seeker."

Richard grinned and pulled her close, he tapped three with his foot and then launched them off across the room, humming an old song from his childhood as they turned and twirled and romped. The rain pounded time on the roof, drumming steadily as he spun and tried not to step on Kahlan's toes. "Oh I must go down to the seas again, that vagrant gypsy life!" he sung as he came to the last verse of the song "To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife!" He slowed them down, turning her slowly and starting up the diagonal of the room again "And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow rover." He paused here and twirled, Kahlan. "And a quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over," he finished, drawing them to a stop once more before the fire. His eyes were intent on Kahlan's which were bright and full of laughter, her cheeks pink and her hair tousled from their exertion.

Her hands moved over his arms, the laughter still in her eyes. "I've never danced like that before," she admitted. "Where did you learn that?"

Richard blushed a little bit at the question. "My mom," he confessed. "She loved dancing and my dad had two left feet. She taught me and Michael but Michael hated it, he couldn't keep time to save his life," Richard laughed. "So on rainy days my dad would play his fiddle and my mom would dance with me up and down our living room."

"She must have been an amazing woman," she said softly, her fingers moving to brush the hair away from his eyes.

Richard smiled and leaned into her touch. "She was. I wish you could've met her and my dad," his voice turned wistful now, quieter.

"I have," she smiled. "Every time you talk about them, every time you tell me about them."

Richard's smile returned, wider. "How do you do that?" he asked, tracing the curve of her cheek.

"Do what?" her head moved so that his fingers touched more of her skin.

"Know just the right thing to say," he replied, pulling her into an embrace. He whispered into her ear, "sometimes I think you're magic."

"I think the same about you," she whispered back. 

Richard placed a soft kiss on the side of her head, shutting his eyes as his lips touched her skin. Slowly he pulled away from her and reached for the blankets he'd piled up on one of the chairs beside the dining table. He made to spread them out on the floor but Kahlan's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Richard," she looked down at the blankets then over to the corner of the room where the bed was. "We don't need to sleep on the hard floor. There's a mattress," she pointed out.

Richard gave her a mischievous grin and arched his eyebrows. "Help me move it?" he asked, already across the room and lifting up a corner.

She nodded and moved to the other side of the bed, lifting the opposite corner so they could slide it off the bed and onto the floor. "We should feel bad, sleeping in someone else's bed," she pointed out. "But I don't feel bad."

Richard laughed. "Neither do I," he agreed with a conspiratorial grin.

They set the mattress down in front of the fire and Richard spread the blankets back on top of it properly. It was late and they hadn't eaten yet but staring at the cosy picture it made in front of the roaring fire with the pillows and the thick quilt Richard couldn't say he wanted to do anything but lay down and rest.

"I don't think I can remember the last time I slept in a bed," she laughed, positioning herself on the mattress so she could watch the fire. She pulled the covers over her and scooted to the side so there was plenty of room for Richard. It was the first time she'd sleep in the same bed with someone other than her sister. Richard got into bed, it was still cool beneath the covers though they would warm soon enough.Instead of waiting he curled himself around Kahlan wrapping his arm around her waist, drawing her back securely against his chest.  
"To stay warm," he assured her, breath puffing hotly against her ear.

"To stay warm," she agreed in a whisper, nodding her head slightly.

"Goodnight, Kahlan," he murmured, feeling the tiredness in his body overwhelming him. He was warm and dry and safe and so very comfortable. He dropped a kiss on the top of her hair and laid his head down on the same pillow.

She smiled and closed her eyes, wishing this moment could last forever. Wishing that the feeling that the entire weight of the Midlands was lifted from their shoulders, at least for the night. It was comforting and for the first time in a long while she was relaxed. She opened her eyes briefly to watch the fire a moment longer before letting the sound of it drift her off to sleep.

Overhead the rain continued to drum down on the roof sealing them in this private world. The fire crackled and popped but neither the Seeker nor the Mother Confessor heard it, they were sound asleep.

~~~~~~~~~

_Wishful thinking you might be mine_  
Every shiver sends  
One breath under the bridge of sighs  
Bending where the river bends 

_and every dream, is just a dream after all_

_and everything stands so still when you dance_  
everything spins so fast  
and the night's in a paper cup  
when you want it to last 

_~ Heather Nova - Papercup_

**Author's Note:**

> Richard's 'song' is actually a poem called [Sea Fever](http://www.poetseers.org/the_great_poets/misc/i_must_go_down_to_the_sea) by John Masefield


End file.
